Memories of Life on the Farm, livre ebook

John Calvin Allen, professionally known as J. C., worked as a photographer for Purdue University from 1909-1952, and operated his own photography business until his death in 1976. The J. C. Allen photographs represent a historical account of the transition from pioneer practices to scientific methodologies in agriculture and rural communities. During this major transitional period for agriculture, tractors replaced horses, hybrid corn supplanted open-pollinated corn, and soybeans changed from a novelty crop to regular rotation on most farms. During this time, purebred animals with better genetic pedigrees replaced run-of-the-mill livestock, and systematic disease prevention in cattle, swine, and poultry took place.

Allen's photographs also document clothing styles, home furnishings, and the items people thought important as they went about their daily lives. Looking closely at tractors, livestock, wagons, planters, sprayers, harvesting equipment, and crops gives one a sense of the changing and fast-paced world of agriculture at that time.

This volume contains over 900 picturesque images, most never-before-seen, of men, women, and children working on the farm, which remain powerful reminders of life in rural America at the turn of the twentieth century. As old farmhouses and barns fall victim to age, Allen photographs are all that remain. While those people and times no longer exist today, they do remain "alive" because of the preservation of that history on film. A camera in his hands and an eye for photography allowed Allen to create indelible visual histories that continue to tell the story of agriculture and rural life from long ago.

Foreword
Introduction
The Early Life of John C. Allen
The Photographer Emerges
Crafting a Business One Photograph at a Time
A Lasting LegacyPart I. Life on the Farm
The Farm Homestead
Fueling the Farm
Chores around the Home
We Grow What We Eat
Farm Fresh Products for Sale
Going to Town
Connecting to the Outside World
The Three Rs
Time for Fun
The Beauty of Children
Proud to Be a Farmer
The Farmer’s Workshop
A Drive through the Countryside
Roads More or Less Traveled
Barns and Silos of the Midwest
Barns without Corners
Swinging on the Pasture GatePart 2. Working the Ground
Clearing Land and Managing Water
Horsepower to Work the Soil
Conserving Soil
Sweetening a Sour Soil
Adding Nutrients to Depleted Soils
Corn on the Cob
Amber Waves of Grain
The Miracle Soybean
An Apple a Day
A Juicy Peach
Digging Up Spuds for the Winter
Red Ripe Tomatoes
Growing Diverse Crops for Market
A Fine Tobaccy Crop
The Southern Cotton Boll
Feed for Farm AnimalsPart 3. The Livestock Connection
The Forgotten Milk Stool
A Country Ham
Farm Fresh Eggs
Wool and Ewe
A Side of BeefPart 4. The Purdue University Influence
Class Is in Session
Research to Improve Farm Productivity
Education through Outreach
Building Character through Clubs and Contests
Notes
Sources
Index